Skip to content

Get 5 Secrets to Make Homemade Taste Food Better + New Recipes Weekly!

    Boxty Recipe (Irish Potato Pancakes)

    Published March 15, 2023. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    You will love these Irish potato pancakes known as boxty made from mashed potatoes and shredded potatoes cooked to a crisp. This is incredibly easy to make and goes great with any meal.

    I’ve never met a potato that I didn’t like and wasn’t eager to eat. If you’re the same way, try my Smashed Potatoes or Hasselback Potatoes that pair perfectly with any protein.

    boxty in a cast iron skillet


     

    Boxty

    Boxty is a thick pancake of mashed and shredded potatoes, flour, baking soda, and buttermilk fried in butter or lard. These are traditionally formed into a circle and cut into quarters or triangles and are usually served as a side dish or appetizer. These are a great way to use up any leftover mashed potatoes.

    Boxty is said to have originated during the Irish famine during the mid-1800s that infected the potato crops that ended up killing over 1 million people worldwide. Since potatoes were scarce, this procedure was a great way to expand the popular Irish starchy vegetable into a filling dish.   

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    ingredients to make boxty
    • Raw Potatoes – The most common raw potato to use in the US for Boxty would be Yukon golds.
    • Mashed Potatoes – Any leftover mashed potatoes will work for this.
    • Flour – Regular all-purpose flour is what you will need.
    • Buttermilk – I prefer to use full-fat cultured buttermilk for this.
    • Baking Soda – This will be used as the leavening agent.
    • Butter – I always use unsalted butter in my cooking and baking.
    • Seasoning – Coarse sea salt and fresh cracked pepper is all the seasoning you will need for this boxty.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Start by peeling the potatoes.

    peeling yukon potatoes

    Next, grate them onto a large flour sack towel or kitchen towel.

    shredding yukon potatoes

    Fold up the 4 ends of the towel and then twist it over the sink, squeezing out as much of the potato liquid as possible.

    squeezing out liquid from shredded potatoes in a cloth

    Add the drained potatoes to a large bowl.

    adding shredded potatoes to a bowl

    Next, add the leftover mashed potatoes, flour, buttermilk, baking soda, salt, and pepper.

    seasoning boxty batter

    I then mix everything until the batter is combined. If It’s too thick, add more buttermilk, and if it’s too thin, add some flour. It should be the consistency of soupy mashed potatoes.

    mixing together a boxty batter

    Add the butter to a 10” cast iron skillet and heat until it’s melted over medium-high heat.

    adding butter to a cast iron skillet

    Pour about 1 ½ to 2 cups of the potato batter into the cast iron skillet and spread it out using a spoon to flatten it. Turn the heat down to medium.

    pouring potato pancake batter into a hot cast iron skillet

    Cook the boxty for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and flip it over and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and cooked throughout.

    golden brown boxty in a skillet

    Remove from the pan, garnish with optional sliced green onions, cut into triangles, and serve.

    sliced potato pancakes in a skillet

    What do You Serve Boxty With?

    You can serve boxty with a myriad of options, but here are my favorites:

    Make-Ahead and Storage

    Make-Ahead: I believe these are meant to be eaten when they’re done cooking. You can keep them warm uncovered, placed on a rack on a sheet tray, and in the oven at low temperatures (200°) for up to 30 minutes before serving.

    How to Store: Cover and keep them in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. These boxty will freeze well and be covered for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge for 1 day or until thawed.

    How to Reheat: Placed the desired number of boxty on a rack over a sheet tray and bake in the oven at 400° for 4 to 6 minutes or until hot and crispy.

    Chef Billy Parisi

    Chef Notes + Tips

    • Raw russet potatoes can be used in this recipe.
    • Feel free to use a mashed potato from either Yukon gold or red potatoes.
    • You can substitute half and half or whole milk for the buttermilk.
    • Feel free to make the boxty into smaller sizes, 2” to 3” in diameter, for quicker cooking and easier-to-flip procedures.
    • After flipping over the boxty, finish it in the oven at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until browned and cooked throughout.
    • If you do not have a cast iron skillet, a regular 10″ non-stick skillet will work great.

    More Potato Recipes

    Share this Post

    Let's Cook - Chef Billy Parisi

    Video

    Boxty Recipe (Irish Potato Pancakes)

    5 from 5 votes
    You will love these Irish potato pancakes known as boxty made from mashed potatoes and shredded potatoes that are cooked to a crisp.
    Servings: 8
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes

    Ingredients 

    • 3 peeled medium-sized Yukon potatoes, this should make about 3 cups shredded
    • 3 cups mashed potatoes
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 3 ½ cup buttermilk
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
    • coarse sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
    • unsalted butter for frying

    Instructions

    • Grate the potatoes onto a large flour sack towel or kitchen towel.
    • Fold up the 4 ends of the towel and then twist it over the sink squeezing out as much of the potato liquid as possible.
    • Add the drained potatoes to a large bowl.
    • Next, add in the leftover mashed potatoes, flour, buttermilk, baking soda, salt, and pepper.
    • Mix until the batter is combined. If It’s too thick add more buttermilk and if it’s too thin, add some flour. It should be the consistency of soupy mashed potatoes.
    • Add the butter to a 10” cast iron skillet and heat until it’s melted over medium-high heat.
    • Pour about 1 ½ to 2 cups of the potato batter to the cast iron skillet and spread out using a ladle to flatten it. Turn the heat down to medium.
    • Cook the boxty for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and flip it over and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and cooked throughout.
    • Remove from the pan, garnish with optional sliced green onions, slice into triangles and serve.

    Notes

    Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten when they’re done cooking. You can keep them warm uncovered, placed on a rack on a sheet tray, and in the oven at low temperatures (200°) for up to 30 minutes before serving.
    How to Store: Cover and keep them in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. These will freeze well and be covered for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge for 1 day or until thawed.
    How to Reheat: Placed the desired number of boxty on a rack over a sheet tray and bake in the oven at 400° for 4 to 6 minutes or until hot and crispy.
    Raw russet potatoes can be used in this recipe.
    Feel free to use a mashed potato from either Yukon gold or red potatoes.
    You can substitute half and half or whole milk for the buttermilk.
    Feel free to make the boxty into smaller sizes, 2” to 3” in diameter, for quicker cooking and easier-to-flip procedures.
    After flipping over the boxty, finish it in the oven at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until browned and cooked throughout.
    If you do not have a cast iron skillet, a regular 10″ non-stick skillet will work great.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 364kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 11gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 344mgPotassium: 707mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 177IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 142mgIron: 3mg
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: irish